


Poor Investment

by xLoLix



Category: Destiny (Video Game)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-01
Updated: 2015-03-01
Packaged: 2018-03-15 18:51:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3457961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xLoLix/pseuds/xLoLix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A warlock has some yelling to do. It happens to be at the guy who pays her. Let's see how well this works out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Poor Investment

"What the hell is this?'

'What?' Kal-52 looks up from his work. He didn't seem startled in the least by the sudden outburst.

Melanie had her helmet clenched in one hand. She is a warlock and not a bad looking one by anyone's judgement. But for whatever reason, there's a particular flavour of bad attitude that had a tendency to crop up more often in warlocks. Mel has a particularly nasty case of it.

'You keep paying me fuck all!' Mel threw down a sad looking sachet of glimmer onto Kal's work bench.

Kal eyes the sachet he had delivered 'I payed you precisely what your services are valued at.'

Mel let out a humourless laugh. 'Pretty sure my latest haul was the best one yet. But you' she gestures angrily with her helmet in Kal's direction 'had the nerve to pay me the same amount as my last haul.'

Kal sighs and walks out from behind his work bench. He figures this conversation is going to be longer than he'd like. 'Yes. You went above and beyond our expectations and the cryptarchs are ever grateful. But it doesn't change the value of your efforts-'

'What a load of shit.' Mel says more as an offhand comment.

Instead of continuing, Kal fold his arms and leans back against his bench. He tilts his chin up as an invitation to Mel to say her piece. She takes the bait readily.

'It's become pretty clear to me that I'm the one bringing in the best finds. Yet I'm still toting around the rifle that jams three out of four times and a fusion rifle that whines every time it charges. Do you have any idea how hard it is to fight when my position is being telegraphed every time I try to line up a shot?' Mel throws down her helmet in frustration. 'It's totally aggravating! I deserve better i know i deserve better!'

'Oh. Um.'

Mel whips around to glare at the uninvited guest. Two hunters stood dumbfounded. Frozen mid-stride.

'Uhh, sorry.' Says one.

'We'll come back uh, later.' Says the other as they both turn to quickly get away.

'Awkwarrrrd.' The first one comments in an overly audible stage whisper.

Mel waits till they are out of earshot before she turns back to the Exo. 'And thats another thing. I've seen what you've paid Kelli and Morgan. Ludicrous!'

Kal puts a hand up. 'Firstly; what I pay others is none of your business. Secondly; Kelli and Morgan work for Zachariah. They collect for him.'

'Zachariah is a drunken idiot!' Mel's voice goes squeaky in disbelief.

Kal nods. 'A drunkard? Yes. Idiot? Can't really say no to that one. But!' He says firmly to stop Mel short before she goes off again. 'He's not stupid. He manages and equips a dozen guardians. He knows how to build a suitable fire squad for any assignment we throw at him. He knows what it is his team needs and they always have each others backs. They're less likely to lose a target that way. And even less likely to lose a guardian.'

The last point emphasized with Kal straightening up and stepping into Mel's space. She does not step back, but she shrinks into herself ever so slightly. Kal is a full head taller than Mel. She has to now look up to meet his eyes. Kal waits for Mel to say something stupid. She does not.

'If you were to die.' Kal moves back to lean on his work bench. 'If the darkness were to take you. What would we lose?'

Mel scoffs at the idea. She goes to pick up her helmet and inspects it. There is maybe a new chip in the paint but that's all.

'Humour me. What would we lose?'

Mel thinks about it. 'You wouldn't lose much. My ship would route itself back to the tower if i die.' She pauses. 'Whatever i was trying to do wouldn't've been done... and my ghost would need to be retrieved if he died too. That's it.'

'Exactly. We lose you, we don't lose much. We don't like losing guardians, but the reality of the matter is that it happens. You're good, yes. Very good. But you work alone. Even worse you like to venture off the grid. All it takes is a well placed bullet when your guard is down to take you out. You're easier to ambush. It won't help our cause if a good set of hard earned equipment is lost, destroyed or fallen into enemy hands.'

Mel does not look up from her helmet. Her facade of making sure the helmet is undamaged is well worn out.

'In short; You're a poor investment.' Kal turns to move back behind his work bench. Kal gets back to inspecting the parts of a hefty looking sniper rifle. It's the kind that would easily be way outside of Mel's budget. It doesn't stop her from admiring it though. 'Zachariah and his team are a valuable asset.' Kal continues. 'They can cover each others weaknesses. Even in the worst case that one of them get taken out, others are already there to retrieve anything of value and get out immediately. It's worth making sure they have the right equipment.'

For a while Mel doesn't move or say anything. Instead Kal finishes up assembling the rifle and checks down the sights making sure everything is lined up and sitting properly. He sets the rifle down and picks up the sachet nearly forgotten on the bench and tosses it back to Mel who catches it neatly.

'Do you understand now?' He asks.

Mel grunts.

'Find yourself a team. Go to the Crucible. Meet with Lord Shaxx. It's a good place to start.' The Exo's tone has softened up to something that can be described as gentle. 'Trust me. It's going to take a few tries before you get it right. It'll save you the trouble of putting yourself needlessly at risk.'

Mel turns to leave. Something is said under her breath that sounded like 'what would you know' as she paces away.

'How do you think I got myself stuck here in the tower?' He asks out loud.

Mel gives Kal the briefest glance over her shoulder. It's well known that Kal-52 used to be a renowned warlock before he lost his ghost and was bound permanently to the tower as a result. He had a tendency to lecture newer guardians and nag the veterans. As he does frequently with Mel.

This piece of information was new. But it was fitting. It was something for Mel to mull over for the next couple days.

Kal wished that his lesson would sink in and that she took his suggestion seriously. He liked Mel. He hoped the day someone sells him her ghost is not anytime soon.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't even have a warlock what am I doing?
> 
> So. I wrote this forever ago but I finally got a gold account and the more I think about it the more I'm convinced this was a result of my frustrations of how lackluster Destiny is with all the multiplayer features locked. That's no way to live. Trust me. Don't try it.


End file.
